


Lung Bloom

by MonkeyNeedsAHug



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonkeyNeedsAHug/pseuds/MonkeyNeedsAHug
Summary: A short story about Hanahaki disease in Hannibal's world.The second chapter contains the same story with an alternate ending.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Лёгкие цветы](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760747) by [MonkeyNeedsAHug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonkeyNeedsAHug/pseuds/MonkeyNeedsAHug). 



> English is not my first language but I tried my best while translating this short story. I hope you enjoy it.

The first time Hannibal felt a sting in his lungs was after he had been introduced to the profiler who didn't even look him in the eye. Upon returning home, the doctor examined his chest in a mirror for a while, staring at it with a slight frown on his face. Hoping that his sudden fascination with a nervous special investigator and the pain, which he had gradually gotten used to, were an unfortunate coincidence, Hannibal decided against denying himself the pleasure of interaction with his new acquaintance. They started having regular appointments and Dr. Lecter could no longer ignore the ache in his lungs. Some nights the pain was so unbearable that it would force him to lie in his bed wide awake.

The doctor discovered the first flower in his marble sink after a fit of barking cough, which seemed to rip his lungs to shreds. After running the crumpled bud under water, he examined it more closely. Recognizing the plant, he squeezed it in his sweaty palm. To confirm his conjecture Dr. Lecter later found a botanical encyclopedia in his vast library. The book was once presented to him by a grateful patient. After searching the index, Hannibal found the page he was looking for. Under a colorful illustration there was a name printed in large letters, “Antirrhinum majus” - commonly known as dog flower. The doctor’s belief in coincidence evaporated instantly.

The prospect of providing his lungs as a flower bed for tall spikes with multicolored buds did not appeal to Hannibal at all. Each morning started with a coughing fit which left clusters of bright flowers behind. The doctor constantly felt strangled by the stems stalking through his throat. It became more and more difficult to hide his disease from others. Still, the culprit remained worthy of Hannibal’s sympathy being treacherously wonderful in his work. Dr. Lecter kept looking forward to their meetings patiently waiting for their daily appointments every evening despite suffering from violent coughing episodes and throwing up bloodied flowers.

***

Months passed and Hannibal conceived a plan that could give him a chance of survival: deception, frame-up, and betrayal. These actions towards the subject of his admiration would surely disabuse his mind and body of the notion that he was capable of loving someone. However, his design failed, only exacerbating his position adding all-consuming longing to his symptoms. Trying to get rid of it, Hannibal set a new plan in motion freeing his former patient from a straitjacket and suspicion. Nonetheless, the doctor had lost any hope that the flowers sprouting in his lungs would be burned by a reciprocal feeling.

Realizing that his time was running out and that soon enough the last flower crown would burst from his chest, Hannibal decided to resort to the last remedy. As soon as his mind accepted the thought, and he made the final decision to fulfill it, Dr. Lecter fell to his knees and threw up a whole spike topped with bright orange flowers. He only had few days.

***

The dogs slept in their beds by the fireplace. With their stomachs full they wouldn’t wake up even having heard a loud noise. The doctor sat in a shabby armchair by the coffee table. He was wearing a transparent plastic jumpsuit over his impeccable three-piece suit. A body of a young man lay in a burgundy puddle at his feet. The man’s blue eyes looked up and his mouth was slightly open giving his face a surprised expression. A long wound that crossed the dead man's stomach was created with a linoleum knife, the hilt of which was now being gripped by the uninvited guest.

There was no need to hurry, today’s last appointment had been cancelled. Dr. Lecter knelt before the body and set to work. It seemed fair to Hannibal to take something the dead man had almost stolen from him. Carefully placing the excised lungs in a sterile bag, the doctor propped the corpse in the armchair and put a half of his last victim’s heart in each of its palms. Running a satisfied look over the created scene the ripper hurried to leave the house that no longer had an owner.

Returning to his own home, Dr. Lecter immediately began preparations for a late dinner. Picking a suitable knife, he carved the fresh lungs. After opening the incision, he froze. He was covering bright green strap-shaped leaves with his hand. Expanding the cross section with his fingers, the doctor smelt an intoxicating sweet scent that made his eyes water. Staring at him from the cut-up lung there were white daffodils.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the same story with a different resolution. The alternate ending is dedicated to Dr L.

The first time Hannibal felt a sting in his lungs was after he had been introduced to the profiler who didn't even look him in the eye. Upon returning home, the doctor examined his chest in a mirror for a while, staring at it with a slight frown on his face. Hoping that his sudden fascination with a nervous special investigator and the pain, which he had gradually gotten used to, were an unfortunate coincidence, Hannibal decided against denying himself the pleasure of interaction with his new acquaintance. They started having regular appointments and Dr. Lecter could no longer ignore the ache in his lungs. Some nights the pain was so unbearable that it would force him to lie in his bed wide awake.

The doctor discovered the first flower in his marble sink after a fit of barking cough, which seemed to rip his lungs to shreds. After running the crumpled bud under water, he examined it more closely. Recognizing the plant, he squeezed it in his sweaty palm. To confirm his conjecture Dr. Lecter later found a botanical encyclopedia in his vast library. The book was once presented to him by a grateful patient. After searching the index, Hannibal found the page he was looking for. Under a colorful illustration there was a name printed in large letters, “Antirrhinum majus” - commonly known as dog flower. The doctor’s belief in coincidence evaporated instantly.

The prospect of providing his lungs as a flower bed for tall spikes with multicolored buds did not appeal to Hannibal at all. Each morning started with a coughing fit which left clusters of bright flowers behind. The doctor constantly felt strangled by the stems stalking through his throat. It became more and more difficult to hide his disease from others. Still, the culprit remained worthy of Hannibal’s sympathy being treacherously wonderful in his work. Dr. Lecter kept looking forward to their meetings patiently waiting for their daily appointments every evening despite suffering from violent coughing episodes and throwing up bloodied flowers.

***

Months passed and Hannibal conceived a plan that could give him a chance of survival: deception, frame-up, and betrayal. These actions towards the subject of his admiration would surely disabuse his mind and body of the notion that he was capable of loving someone. However, his design failed, only exacerbating his position adding all-consuming longing to his symptoms. Trying to get rid of it, Hannibal set a new plan in motion freeing his former patient from a straitjacket and suspicion. Nonetheless, the doctor had lost any hope that the flowers sprouting in his lungs would be burned by a reciprocal feeling.

Realizing that his time was running out and that soon enough the last flower crown would burst from his chest, Hannibal decided to resort to the last remedy. As soon as his mind accepted the thought, and he made the final decision to fulfill it, Dr. Lecter fell to his knees and threw up a whole spike topped with bright orange flowers. He only had few days.

***

The dogs slept in their beds by the fireplace. With their stomachs full they wouldn’t wake up even having heard a loud noise. The doctor sat in a shabby armchair by the coffee table waiting for their owner while gripping a linoleum knife in his hand. He was wearing a transparent plastic jumpsuit over his impeccable three-piece suit. Hannibal listened to the sound of running water coming from the second floor. Thinking of the smell of the atrocious aftershave with a ship on the bottle, he frowned.

The doctor was startled by the sound of a coughing fit that suddenly came from upstairs. Frozen by the noise that accompanied every morning and every night of the last months of his life, Hannibal stared dumbfounded. The coughing stopped and the water was no longer running. The ripper rose from his seat and approached the stairs leading to his potential victim. Then an intoxicating sweet scent hit him. It made Hannibal rush outside leaving the house silently. He had to be on time for this evening’s appointment.

***

As soon as he crossed the threshold of Dr. Lecter's office, Will Graham froze on the spot, met with bouquets of white and yellow flowers that adorned every surface in the room. Their scent was so strong that it made him feel nauseous. The doctor standing next to Will asked him with a smile:

“Do you like daffodils?”


End file.
